Method of making footwear



July 31, 1962 G. H. BINGHAM, JR 3,046,581

METHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR Original Filed July 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. 6W i Wm ATT'YS.

y 31, 1962 s. H. BINGHAM, JR 3,046,581

' METHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR Original Filed July 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR.

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3,046,581 METHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR George H. Bingham, J12, Westminster,Md., assignor to Cambridge Rubber Company, Taneytown, Md., a corporationof Maryland Original application July 23, 1959, Ser. No. 829,040, nowPatent No. 3,034,158, dated May 15, 1962. Divided and this applicationJan. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 168,747

4 Claims. (Cl. 12-142) One specific instance of the utility of theinvention is in the manufacture of overshoes by the so-called soc methodwherein the upper, with the innersole attached thereto, eitherintegrally or by fastening elements, is drawn over a metal last providedwith heating means and then assembled with an outersole in a suitablemold and subjected to heat and pressure, whereby the several parts arecured and the inner and outer soles permanently united.

A customary style of overshoe made by the above procedure has a throatopening at its front or side, extending downwardly from its upper edge,and this opening is provided with a bellows-type tongue or gore so as toclose the opening leak-tight. At each side of this opening the materialforms a fold where it merges with the gore. When such an overshoe is notin use, and more particularly when it is on display in a shop window,the tendency of the opposite sides of the opening to spread apart tosome extent due to the weight of the material itself, great-1y detractsfrom the intended sleek and neat appearance.

While it is true that such boots are often provided with buttons andloops for holding the throat opening closed, this arrangment does notalways keep the edges close together throughout the length of the throatopening, and many boots of this type are not provided with any suchconnecting means.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel method ofmaking footwear, whereby the material at the opposite edges of thethroat opening is given such an initial set that the edges tend toremain-in close contact without other assistance, whether or notfastener means he provided. :In the attainment of this object, and inaccordance with the invention, a retaining device, which may be referredto as a fork, is so arranged in the boot, while the latter is on thelast and before the final curing, that the tines of the fork extend downinto the folds at opposite sides of the throat opening. Since the tinesof the fork are substantially parallel and close together, they hold theedges of the folds in substantial contact. This fork remains in placeduring the curing operation with the result that the material of theupper is set so that the opposite edges of the folds have a strongtendency to remain in contact when the boot is on display and not inuse, even though fastener means is not used or though no fastener meanshe provided. The fork employed may have straight tines, or the tines maybe curved to correi spond to the shape of that part of the boot upperwith which the fork is to be employed.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will bepointed out in the following more detailed description and by referenceto the accompany drawings, wherein States Patent 3,046,581 Patented July31, 1962 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section to larger scale on the line3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation similar to FIG. 2, but showing the oppositefolds sagging apart;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation showing the upper mounted on a last inreadiness for the curing operation;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the fork employed in the presentinvention, this fork having curved legs;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the same fork; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG, 6, but showing the fork with straightlegs. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates an overshoe ofa conventional type wherein, for example, the upper comprises textilematerial coated or impregnated with a waterproofing substance, [forinstance, a rubber compound, the shoe having an outersole 12 and, asillustrated herein, a foxing strip 13. This shoe has a throat opening 14'(FIG. 3) defined by folds 15 and 16, respectively at which the materialof the upper proper merges with material (which may be integraltherewith or united thereto by seams) forming a bellows tongue or gore Tof conventional construction.

The throat opening extends from the top edge of the shoe downwardlyalong the instep arch, as here illustrated, although in some shoes thethroat opening is arranged at one side rather than at the front, theopening extending downwardly for a substantial distance so as to affordfreedom for dotting or donning the boot. Because the material of theupper is usually soft and quite flexible, there is a tendency for thematerial of the upper, at opposite sides of the throat opening, tosagdown, as illustrated in FIG. 4, so that the folds 15 and 16 spreadapart, thus exhibiting a portion of the tongue T and seriouslydetracting from the desired neat appearance of the boot, particularlywhen it is on display in a shop window.

While, as here illustrated, it is quite common to provide such a bootwith a button B to which there is attached a loop L designed to beengaged with a button B at the opposite side of the throat opening,thereby to keep the opening closed, such an arrangement only keeps itclosed through a portion of the length of the opening. Frequently, indisplaying the boot, it may be desirable to leave the loop disconnectedfrom the opposite but ton. In accordance with the present invention suchsagging of the material at opposite sides of the throat opening isprevented (even though no fastener means be emdisposed substantially atright angles to the length of the implement, and which consittutes .ahandle for use in manipulating the implement, and two substantiallyparallel legs 19 and 20, these legs being of a length substantiallyequal to the length of the throat opening in the boot, and beingnormally spaced apart a distance approximating twice the thickness ofthe material of the boot upper. The implement 17 illustrated in FIG. 6has curved legs, as shown in FIG. 7, and is designed for use in a bootsuch as illustrated, where the throat opening is at the front.

Either before or after assembling the upper with the last S (FIG. 5)preparatory to the union of the outersole with the innersole of theboot, the lower ends of the legs spams-1 19 and 2 1) of the implement 17are spread apart slightly to facilitate their introduction into thefolds 15 and 16 of the boot. Having introduced the tips of the legs 19and 29 into the folds, the implement is then pushed downwardly, and inbeing moved downwardly and because of the close spacing of the legs, itdraws the folds together so that their proximate surfaces aresubstantially in contact throughout the entire length of the throatopening. Assuming that the upper has been drawn over the last, that theimplement 17 has been inserted, and that the lasted upper has beenassembled with the outersole in a suitable mold, the last is heated andpressure is applied to unite the insole and outersole. It may beunderstood that up to the time that the upper is drawn over the last,the waterproofing material (whether in the form of a coating orimpregnant of textile fabric or whether it, of itself, for instance apliable plastic, constitutes the entire upper of the boot) is in apartially cured state, that is to say, it is still to a certain extentplastic. However, when heat and pressure are applied, this material isthereby completely cured. Being thus cured with the implement 17 withinthe folds 15 and 16, the material forming the folds takes a permanentset so that when the implement 17 is thereafter withdrawn and the bootremoved from the last, the folds 15 and 16 tend to retain the shapeimparted to them by the legs of the implement 17 and to remain in therelative position to which they were brought by the introduction of thelegs 19 and 20 of the implement 17. In the completed boot, the foldstend to remain in the position shown in FIG. 2, whether or not anyfastener elements be provided or employed. Thus the boot has a neat andpleasing appearance when exhibited in a shop window or when it is setaside between periods of use.

If the opening and bellows tongue be at the side, rather than at thefront of the boot, the implement may have straight legs as illustrated,for example, in FIG. 6. Thus the implement 241 shown in FIG. 8, whichalso consists of a length of wire similar to that used in making theimplement 17 and which also has the bend at 18 arranged to provide auseful handle in operating the implement, has legs, one of which isshown at 20a which are substantially rectilinear.

While one desirable method of procedure has been specifically describedherein, whereby the desired result may be attained, and likewise certainforms of implement for use in the practice of the method have also beenshown and described, it is to be understood that the invention isbroadly inclusive of any and all modifications such as fall within theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making an overshoe which includes as steps: providingan upper which comprises partially cured waterproofing material, theupper having a throat opening whose opposite edges are defined by foldsof the material of the upper, inserting in each fold a stitlly resilientelement operative to impart a definite shape to the folds andconcomitantly drawing the folds toward each other and into approximatecontact throughout substantially their entire lengths, and completingthe curing of the waterproofing material while the parts are in thisrelative position, thereby imparting such a set to the material that thefolds tend to remain in contact.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said elongate elements arethe tines of a fork-like implement of stifiiy resilient material, saidtines ,being substantially par allel and so spaced apart that inintroducing them into the respective folds the folds are drawn intoapproximate contact.

3. The method of making an overshoe which includes as steps: providingan upper which comprises partially cured elastomeric material, the upperhaving a throat opening whose opposite edges are defined by folds of thematerial of the upper, said method comprising as steps: inserting Withineach fold a length of stilt wire and drawing the folds toward each otherso that their proximate surfaces are substantially in contact through amajor portion, at least, of the length of the throat opening, and, withthe parts so positioned, completing the curing of the elastomericmaterial thereby imparting such a set to the material that the foldstend to remain in contact.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the wire which is insertedin each respective fold has a curvature corresponding to that of thefront of the upper of the boot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

